


Five times K-2SO woke up Cassian (plus one time he let him sleep)

by telekinetic_hedgehog



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Caretaking, Gen, Sleep, Sleepiness, droids don't understand humans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 17:38:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13575609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/telekinetic_hedgehog/pseuds/telekinetic_hedgehog
Summary: When K-2SO is first reprogrammed, he doesn't know that humans need to sleep. Cassian doesn't know why his droid keeps waking him up.February Ficlet Challenge 2018, Day 2: "Character B can't sleep."





	Five times K-2SO woke up Cassian (plus one time he let him sleep)

1.

K-2SO opened the door to Cassian’s bunk and flipped on the lights. Cassian sat up, squinting. Oh good, he wasn't busy.

“What's the matter?” he mumbled so incoherently that K-2SO’s voice recognition almost didn't pick it up.

“We've retaken three moons in the Dantooine system.”

Cassian looked at his chrono. “Kay. It's 3am.”

“That is correct.”

“Do they need me for anything?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Okay, well thanks, I guess.” He grumbled and flopped back down. “Turn off the lights, okay?”

Odd. He expected a more positive response. But, as requested, K-2SO turned off the lights and left Cassian’s bunk.

2.

K-2SO had been looking all over the base for Cassian, and he finally found him outside, with a datapad on his lap. He was not reading the datapad. His eyes were closed, and he was slumped against a tree.

“Cassian. There you are.”

When Cassian didn't answer, K-2SO’s protective programming switched into overdrive. He picked him up with one long metal arm around his shoulders and the other under his knees and prepared to carry him towards the medbay. Cassian opened his eyes, blinking, and looked up at K-2SO.

“Stay calm. We are en route to the medbay.”

“The medbay? What for?”

“You weren't moving, and I was worried.”

“I'm fine, Kay, I promise.”

“Well, you are moving and talking now.” K-2SO set him down. “One of your lieutenants wants to speak with you.”

Cassian rubbed his eyes. “Sure, where are they?”

3.

K-2SO flipped on the lights in Cassian’s bunk and stood over him. Cassian sat up and looked around quickly.

“What's going on? Are we evacuating?”

“Not at all. You have an annual well visit at medbay next Zhellday at 1030 hours.”

“That's it?”

“Their scheduling system only just confirmed it,” K-2SO explained. “Your health is very important.”

Cassian huffed, fell backwards, and dragged his blankets over his head. K-2SO took this as a cue to leave, remembering to turn off the lights.

4. 

Cassian and K-2SO were in the command center, studying maps and battle simulations on the holo boards. This region of Yavin 4 had grown dark hours ago, and there were fewer humanoids in the center than usual. K-2SO wasn't programmed for strategy, but like most droids, he could be trusted to be logical and predict the outcomes of a wide variety of situations. He was simulating various tactics Cassian suggested for taking down a dreadnaught while trying to minimize losses. But Cassian stopped paying attention. His head leaned forward, resting on the table in front of him, and his eyes were closed.

“Cassian.”

No response.

“Captain Andor.”

K-2SO placed a hand on his shoulder, and Cassian sat up.

“Sorry, Kay, what was that?” He stood and carried his mug to the caf machines at the side of the room, downing half a mugful and running his hand through his hair while K-2SO repeated the summary of the simulations.

  
5.

K-2SO flipped on the lights in Cassian’s bunk and strode over to him.

Cassian covered his eyes. “Is it urgent?”

“No. Important, but not urgent.”

Cassian groaned. “Kay, you gotta stop waking me up.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, when I'm asleep, if I'm not in danger, leave me alone.”

“Asleep?”

Cassian brought his hand away from his face, sat up, and stared at K-2SO. “You don't know about sleep.” He sighed deeply. “This explains a lot. So you know how you have to charge every so often, right? Humans and most other sentient organics charge by lying down, ideally for about eight hours at night somewhere dark and quiet, and we aren't aware of what's going on around us. Does that make sense?”

“You don't sleep for eight hours,” K-2SO observed. “And you've been asleep when it hasn't been night, or you haven't been lying down.”

“I know.” Cassian frowned. “We're in a war, and I'm exhausted. I'm doing the best I can.”

“So. If your voluntary sleep is insufficient, you will sleep involuntarily.”

“Yeah.”

Organics were so strange. Still, involuntarily sleeping sounded better than powering down completely. Droids could recover from that. Organics couldn't.

“Droids are required to charge when needed in order to stay functional. Perhaps humans should be, too.”

Cassian chuckled. “Wouldn't that be nice. So if it's nothing urgent, can I get back to sleep now?”

6.

The sun had already set on the jungle moon, but Cassian was still working on his U-wing. K-2SO went out to the hangar to remind his friend that organics needed to charge. Cassian was sitting on the floor with tools around him and a panel open as though he were making repairs. But he was not making repairs. He was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, not moving except for very slow breaths.

“Silly flesh-sack,” K-2SO chided. Gently, he picked up his friend and carried him to his bunk, where he laid him on the bed. After taking off his boots, he tucked the blankets around Cassian, turned off the lights, and closed the door on his way out.

K-2SO didn’t have to understand sleep, he decided. He just needed to take care of Cassian.


End file.
